Universal materials testing machine



Feb. 23, 1954 H. M. SHNEIDER 2,669,868

UNIVERSAL MATERIALS TESTING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1950 INVENTOR F/ G HAROLD M. SHNE/DER Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNIYERSAE. MATERIALS; MACHINE. Harold M; Shneid'er, Stamford, Conn, assignor to Baldwiir-Lima-Hamilton Corporation; a corporation t Pennsylvania ApplicationApril 1.7, 195%, Serial No. 156,313

This invention relates to materials, testing machines of the hydraulic type. and it. is an object of; my invention. to provide an improved. machine in which. the various elements are structurally and. functionally related so that its, initial cost isrelatively, low combined with a high degree. of ruggedness, stability and compactness, together with accessibility and. ease of operation and adlustment for. di'iierent specimen lengths, as well asobtaining, a reasonably high degree ofaccuracy and sensitivity.

The art, is replete with many attempts to provide a. low cost. materials testing machine for moderate load ranges but these attempts have involved sacrifices in one or more of the many desirable features above mentioned.

Inmy present, invention, v I have so constructed and arranged the parts that multiple functions are effectively performed by individual parts. The manner in which this is accomplished will be more. apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig, 1 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line l-i' of Fig. 2 with certain parts broken away for clarity of understanding;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantlally on the line 2-2 of'Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modified adjusting screw arrangement.

My improved materials testing machine comprises a main hydraulic loading cylinder l mounted upon and secured to a frame top- 2 by bolts 3, the sides 4 of the frame being of relatively lightweight sheet metal extending around at least three sides of the machine and secured at their lower edge to a relatively heavy bottom plate 5 A, ram 6 preferably having a lapped fit with the cylinder is provided with a spiral lubricating groove 7 throughout the ram length. A loading frame consists of a lower moving platen 8 secured to the upper endoi' the ram by tap screws 9- and carrying a pair of loading columns in to which is rigidly secured an upper movable cross" head I I. A reaction frame consists of a normally stationaryintermediate platen it connected by a pair of tension columns Hi to a bottom crosshead l5 located within. the frame. 4. To obtain vertical adjustment of this reaction frame in order to adjust for different specimen lengths while at: the same time laterally supporting the columns M, at their lower ends together with mmimizing, the action and reaction effects of the hydraulic loading pressure within cylinder l, I have provided a relatively heavy non-rotatable and axially stationary screw it. formed with the cylinder as. a rigid integral part thereol, by being rigidly connected to the bottomv of cylinder I: by studs IT. This screw is connected to lower crosshead 15 by a rotatable nut is j ournalled therein. A worm, and gear 99 driven by a motor, 29. is adapted to.- rotate nut I 8 to cause it to travel vertically along screw it and carry crosshead 5,. tension rods, l4 and; lower movable platen 13 to Whatever position is desired to accommodate thel'engi h of'either a tension. specimen 2 I, located between upper and lower grips 22 and, 23., or a compression specimen disposed between loading platen B'and' normally stationary platen l3. The upper ends of tension columns M" freely extend with amp-1e clearance through openings 26, to be fixed in platen f3 and laterally supported by being slidably guided in suitable bearing lugs- 25 formed on the cylinder I. The reaction frame is thus eifectively laterally supported at its top and bottom by the top and bottom of the rugged main cylinder I, and heavy integral screw Hi. The motor 20 and gears it are supported from the crosshead 1 5" so as to travel vertically with the same.

'Ifo provide relatively simple and elfectivestops for limiting vertical movement of the reaction frame, a vertical rod to is sliclably supported in a bearing 3 I at its lower end and in a bearing 32 in frame top 2. Stop collars 33 may be located at any place along the rod and are adjustable thereon by thumb screws 34'. A pin 35 is secured in the normally stationary but adjustable platen I3 so that when this platen reaches a predetermined adjusted position the pin 35 will engage one of the stop collars 33- and thereby raise rod 30 to operate alimit switch 36 which is mounted upon the frame side 4. This is accomplished by an arm 37 and switch actuating pin 38 extending laterally from rod 31!. The downward motion of adjustable platen I3 is similarly controlled by a second limit switch 39. If desired, a third adjustable collar 4t may be engaged by loading platen 8 to limit its upward travel. The limit switches control the electric circuit for adjusting motor 20 and the main pump motor (not shown) thereby to stop the same. Thus it is seen that by first adjusting collars 33 the machine may be quickly adjusted for commercial testing of specimens of different predetermined lengths without danger of jamming the platens and crossheads together.

Any suitable type of load measuring device may be used, such as Bourdon tubes: connected into the cylinder I as: at a connection 40', while fluid pressure: from any suitable source such as a hydraulic pump. may be supplied to the loading cylinder through a port M. Leakage may be drained back to the pump sump through the port. 42'.

In the modification of Fig. 3, I still retain the dual functions of providing a rigid adjusting screw formed? integrally with the loading cylinder and of utilizing the screw and cylinder for laterally supporting thev reaction frame. To accomplish this still further reduce thev vertical space required for the mechanism, I have provided a loading cylinder rigidly supported; on tram-e top 2 and having a. bore- 52 closed by a sealing plate 53 seated; in, a. suitable recess and sealed by an 0 ring 54. The cylinder 50 extends, as at 55, beyond the end of bore 52 and the external cylindrical surface of the cylinder 50, including its extension 55, is threaded, as at 56, to receive a rotatable nut 51 journalled in a lower crosshead 53 of the reaction frame. The nut 51 may be driven by a suitable belt around its periphery or by a worm and gear IQ of Fig. 1. The crosshead 58 has tension columns 59 corresponding to the tension columns M in Fig. 1 and the remainder of the machine and its operation is identical to that shown in Fig. 1 and, hence, does not need to be described further except to point out that the hydraulic loading fluid for the cylinder and the fluid connection for the load indicating mechanism, such as a Bourdon tube, maybe made through suitable ports in plate 53 as indicated at fill and 6!, although if desired these fluid connections may be made through passages es and 63 extending axially through either the lower or upper wall portion of the cylinder terminating in the cylinder bore 52. In this modification, it is seen that the same simple but rugged relationship is maintained between the cylinder, screw and reaction frame as is present in the arrangement of Fig. 1. The modified arrangement has the same high degree of flexibility of operation and economy of construction with the additional advantage of minimum vertical space requirements.

From the foregoing disclosure, it is seen that I have provided an extremely compact and simple yet highly rugged and stable materials testing machine employing a minimum number of parts which are so structurally and functionally related as to insure a low initial cost but without sacrifice of accuracy and sensitivity or case of operation and accessibility.

It will of course he understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mater als testing machine compris ng, in combination, a frame, a vertically extending cylinder s pported thereby, a ram disposed within said cylinder, a movable loading platen secured to the upper end of the a normally stationary platen disposed over the upper end of said ram in opposed relation to the movable platen, tension columns connected to said normally stationary platen and extending downwardly along' side of said cylinder, a crosshead connecting the lower ends of said tension rods, a screw rigidly formed with the cylinder. a nut supported by said crosshead and threaded on said screw, and means whereby said nut and screw may be relatively rotated to effect vertical adjustment of the normally stationary platen.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the screw is formed on the outside of the cylinder itself.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterised in that the cylinder includes two portions one of which contains a bore for receiving the ram and the other of which constitutes an extension beyond the bore, and the screw is formed on the outside of both portions of the cyl nder.

4. A materials testing machine comprising, in combination, a frame, a vertically extending cylinder supported thereby, a ram disposed within said cylinder, a movable loading platen secured to the upper end of the ram, a normally stationary platen disposed over the upper end of the ram in opposed relation to the movable platen for loading a specimen disposed between the movable platen and normally stationary platen, tension columns connected to said normally stationary platen and extending downwardly alongside of said cylinder, a crosshead connecting the lower ends of said tension rods, and means attached to the outside of said cylinder as a fixed part thereof for vertically movably supporting said crosshead to effect vertical adjustment of the side rods and of the normally stationary platen to various fixed positions in accordance with the length of specimens to be tested.

5. A materials testing machine comprising, in combination, a frame, a vertically extending cylinder supported thereby, a ram disposed within said cylinder, a movable loading platen secured to the upper end of the ram, a normally stationary platen disposed over the upper end of said ram in opposed relation to the movable platen, a crosshead disposed beneath the lower end of said cylinder, tension columns connecting said normally stationary platen and crosshead, a screw, means for supporting the screw in fixed relation against the bottom of said cylinder, a nut threaded on said screw and journalled in said crosshead, and means for rotating said nut to effect vertical adjustment of the normally stationary platen.

5. Zhe combination set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that the means for supporting the screw is non-rotatably, rigidly connected to the cylinder so as to comprise a fixed lateral support for the crosshead and tension columns, and an electric motor is supported by said crosshead for rotating said nut to effect vertical adjustment of the normally stationary platen whereby said motor moves vertically with said tension columns and crosshead.

7. A materials testing machine comprising, in combination, a frame, a vertically extending cylinder supported thereby, a ram disposed within said cylinder, a movable loading platen secured to the upper end of the ram, a normally stationary platen disposed over the upper end of said ram in opposed relation to the movable platen, a crosshead disposed beneath the lower end of said cylinder, tension columns connecting said normally stationary platen and crosshead, a vertically extending screw disposed below the cylinder, means for supporting the screw in a laterally and vertically fixed position relative to the cylinder, a nut threaded on said screw and supported by said crosshead so that the nut and crosshead move vertically together, and means for relatively rotating said screw and nut to effect vertical adjustment of the normally stationary platen.

HAROLD M. SHNEIDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,018,593 Arthuis Oct. 22, 1935 2,125,116 Lewis July 26, 1938 2,187,345 Dinzl Jan. 16, 1940 2,291,106 Ruch July 28, 1942 2,293,488 Bays Aug. 18, 1942 2,295,249 Yates Sept. 8, 1942 2,577,944 Arthuis Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 491,740 France Feb. 14, 1919 

